South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has reportedly begun the process of defining the terms for its planned spectrum auction of frequencies that will support the introduction of 5G services. According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry aims to complete a review of its plans shortly, ahead of holding a public hearing on the matter next month, with a view to then holding the spectrum sale in June 2018. With frequencies in the 3.5GHz and 28GHz bands expected to be made available, an MSIT spokesperson was cited as saying: ‘We have conducted simulations on various scenarios for auctions, and gathered opinions from related organisations, mobile carriers, and manufacturers … The details of auctions are set to be provided near the public hearing.’
The report notes that the government is currently trying to determine how best to allocate frequencies in the aforementioned bands, with one option under consideration being to share them equally among the nation’s three mobile network operators (MNOs) – SK Telecom, KT Corp and LG Uplus. Consideration is also being given to whether it may be better to distribute the spectrum unevenly to give the highest bidder an advantage. With SK Telecom said to favour the unequal allocation process, it has been suggested that both KT and LG Uplus believe such a method of distribution would give their larger rival an undue advantage, as it is likely to be the biggest spender in the spectrum sale.